Should I worry about my children mastering their addition facts to 12..

[A home for their hearts]

before moving on to subtraction? It seems like we've been on addition forever. They are still using their fingers to figure out some of the higher sums. Should we just move on or keep working at addition?

[Lisawa]

before moving on to subtraction? It seems like we've been on addition forever. They are still using their fingers to figure out some of the higher sums. Should we just move on or keep working at addition?

 

 

I would keep working on it... and maybe ease into subtraction.... its really important for those facts to be mastered... *Ü*

 

Lisa

[Lisawa]

before moving on to subtraction? It seems like we've been on addition forever. They are still using their fingers to figure out some of the higher sums. Should we just move on or keep working at addition?

 

I want to add... no dont worry... *Ü* but they should know basic addition w/o using fingers. *Ü* It will come.

 

Lisa

[Moni]

children mastering their addition facts to 12 before moving on to subtraction

 

Yes. In fact I'd go to multiplication after addition is mastered

then I'd come back for Subtraction after that :)

[Lisawa]

Yes. In fact I'd go to multiplication after addition is mastered

then I'd come back for Subtraction after that :)

 

Never heard that before! *Ü* Why? you have me curious now! *Ü*

 

Lisa aka not a mathematician at all!

[Diane]

This is just our experience...but I never even had my child memorize his facts, he just learned them through practice, most not all. He moved onto subtraction, and is now doing multiplication. If your children get it, understand it, I don't see why they would have to memorize them. I think memorizing them would make their work go quicker, but I, myself, never had to memorize my math facts.

[Closeacademy]

Personally, I would move on. It doesn't really matter if you introduce 1 operation at a time or all 4 at once. What matters is that over time they come to understand the concepts and do well with them.

 

I would start to practice math facts apart from the main math lesson. Take some time at the beginning of the school day or in the afternoon and have them toss a ball or skip or jump rope or some such other rhythmic large motor skill activity. And then start with the math facts.

 

You call out 9 plus 9 is and they shout out the answer. 9 plus 8 is..., 9 plu 7 is... and so on. Then move on to 8 plus 8, etc.

 

I was reading about this recently and have doing it with my own dd and it is a lot of fun for everyone.

[Caia]

I would definitely move on, but keep reviewing the addition at the same time. You could also try learning them in groups . i.e. 9+8=17, 17-9=8

[cin]

I don't remember when our math book introduced subtraction, but they were taught together. We didn't memorize our addition facts before we started subtraction, in fact, right now we are learning the facts as number families. 8, 3, 11. The problems are mixed on the page but all center around those three numbers.

[Strawberry Queen]

How are you having them memorize them? Sometimes a different approach can help cement the facts in their brains. I'm using copy work and throwing bean bags to solidify them for my dd-gr2. She knew them but it took her a while to remember. It didn't come in an instant. It wasn't a problem until she had to add and subtract in hundreds. It took her soo long to do each page, and SM generally has about 10 questions a page.

 

To answer your question though, I would move on. But, I would work at a few facts each week to be memorized. It won't take long to do each day either.

HTH

[Mom2Two]

I would definitely have them memorize the addition facts before going on. We used flashcards and then later purchased a flashmaster. However, we found that everyone preferred the flashcards. It was my dh's job to go over them a few times daily with the kids until they learned them. We offered incentives, like a trip to Dairy Queen if they memorized them.:D

[M in Canada]

...but I use cuisinaire rods and find that eventually my first two students have been catching on. I do quiz them at times orally. But I find if they get to use the rods then eventually they stop using them in their own. I am sure quizing them orally is good though to make sure they get adequate quick review.

[EvergreenEclecticAcademy]

I would move on to subtraction, but use some of the suggestions above to continue reviewing addition facts. That's what I did with dd7. For her, seeing how the subtraction facts *relate* to the addition facts has helped with learning both.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

HTH!

[Chris in VA]

You can move on, but keep working on the facts. I agree that separate practice is very helpful. We are on multiplication, but we took two years for addition facts, although we added in subtraction and multiplication along the way.

 

If your child doesn't see them as discrete facts, but you emphasize that, for ex., 2+3 is the same as 3+2 (as far as the answer goes), by the time you get to the upper facts, they only have to learn 3 or 4, or less--

 

I love how Saxon does this with multiplication--we have learned 1's, 10's, 2's (introduced as "just the doubles"), 3's, 4's, 5's (from the clock), the perfect squares, and the 7's. Many are shown in relationship to other things--we count a lot of money, do the clock every day, etc. Now we are on the 8's-- I point out to dd that she already knows 1x8, 2x8, 3-5x8,10x8, 8x8, and 7x8. That just left two facts to memorize! She was very happy.

 

I guess my point is, it's easier to learn in chunks with relationships. You can see this in how much easier it is to learn a phone number if you say, for example, 9-2-5, 47, 60 instead of 9-2-5, 4-7-6-0.

[michaeljenn]

I would move on. I would still have her practice them though. I wore my children out trying to get them to master those facts... and it led to frustration on all of us!! So, I have them do a fact practice sheet daily, or have them practice their facts on the computer every day. They are memorizing them still, just in a relaxed manner. If fact, I feel like they know them better now, then when we were "focusing" on memorizing them! I also give them fact charts to look at while doing their math and they rarely use it anymore, because they have mastered them, in a natural way.

 

Also, if I were to quiz you on your facts, how would you honestly do? Would you feel nervous while I quiz you? I started really thinking about all this, and decided to not stress about it!

 

Blessings!!!

[prairiegirl]

I'm in the 'move on' camp. My dd didn't know her addition facts when we moved on to subtraction but as time went on, she became better with remembering her addition. We, too, did lots of review. I use movement with our review. I call out an equation and she jumps on the index card that has the right answer. I also use beanbags. I call out an equation and throw her the bean bag, when she catches it, she yells out the answer. This is just a fun twist on flash cards (I hate flash cards :)

 

 

Julia

mom of 3 (8,7,5)

[Mom2GirlsTX]

I would move on, but spend 5 minutes a day of math drill of addition every single day in addition to whatever else you work on. I know for my one daughter, we hung on it forever till I gave up and moved on, and it was the daily drill (we used print out sheets) and she quickly started nailing it. We bought a Flashmaster last year, and it has been a big hit with both girls.

[Kathy in MD]

They need to learn their facts, but you shouldn't need to hold up learning new concepts while mastering facts.